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HARRISON, N.Y. – DeCicco's in Harrison wasn't even open a month before Hurricane Sandy hit and it's now a vital part of the community for more than 10,000 people.

"Sales have been very, very strong - unbelievably strong as a matter of fact," said store manager Tighe Rubinstein of the newest DeCicco's that opened Oct. 5.

"We had a pre-storm surge of customers and now the aftermath has not let up. People are still buying very heavily and I believe that's because some people are out of power and other people are hosting the unfortunate ones."

Necessary items during a blackout such as batteries, flashlights, candles and wood have been flying off the shelves, Rubinstein said. Hot-selling food products include chopped meat, pasta, bread and canned goods.

Rubinstein, who has been with DeCicco's for two years, added that most shipments have been "on par" and that the store is well-stocked in addition to reserves in the basement.

The nine DeCicco's, located in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties, have also been helping each other when it comes to non-perishable items. While the Harrison DeCicco's ran out of flashlights Thursday afternoon, Rubinstein was hopeful for a shipment from another supply that evening.

Rubinstein called the Hurricane Sandy aftermath unfortunate, but he said DeCicco's is now in Harrison to serve the community.

"We do what we have to do to take care of the customers," he said. "We're new to the community, so we're just trying to make sure all of the customers are taken care of. We're just going to do whatever we can."

If residents would like to store frozen and refrigerated items, DeCicco's is allowing that to be done at the store. You can also charge your cell phones, laptops and other electrical items at the store.